MinnesotaChill
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
- Messages
- 452
We are just getting ready to leave Aulani today, so I don't have a full trip report ready, but for those of you headed here soon, I wanted to be sure to mention http://www.hawaiifoodtours.com/Hawaii Food Tours.
We took the tour on Thursday (Feb 7) and had an amazing time. Definitely a highlight of the trip. They offer three tours, we took the Hole in the Wall tour, which took us behind the scenes to places the locals go (and a few popular tourist spots too).
We particularly enjoyed the fact that we got to go to Chinatown and see things normal people wouldn't and taste things tourists wouldn't normally be exposed to. Our guide made it a point to let us know that the tour may change a tiny bit from day to day based on what's fresh and looking good that day. They do not have formal relationships with any of the vendors, which allows them flexibility in where they visit, especially in Chinatown. This does mean that when you arrive at a location, one of the guides will take your order and go wait in line for the group, so the food isn't instantly available when you pull up, but there is plenty of Hawaiian history and general knowledge imparted during these waiting times to make it interesting.
There was nothing we were offered that was questionable in any way (I'm sure the idea of Chinatown makes a few nervous), but if you are a mac and cheese person, you won't appreciate the tour. I was so full at the end that I couldn't taste the last few things, but my husband did fine. On Trip Advisor, someone mentions not getting enough to eat, I cannot imagine that is possible. It is definitely a tasting tour, but we tasted ALOT.
I would not bring young kids, but our teens (who love to try new and interesting foods) would have loved it. You do a fair bit of standing/walking while in Chinatown, the rest of the time an air conditioned shuttle bus drives you around. If you have trouble standing for long periods of time, portable stools are offered to you, as are water, wet wipes, etc.
The tour picks up at Waikiki hotels, so we had to drive in from Aulani. We left at 7:10a, for a 9:30am pick up and were at the pick up location (the Ala Moana shopping mall) an hour early. Just as we were boarding the shuttle, the Aulani shopping bus was pulling up, so there is a possibility you could ride that in, but it would be cutting it close.
I recommend going early in the trip because there may be places to you want to revisit. Once you book the tour, you will receive a restaurant list of all of the local places recommended by the food tour owners. They even said we could call them after the tour to ask for restaurant suggestions later in the week. If you can swing it, I'd also recommend Thursdays, it is the only day the owner, Matthew, and his wife, Keira, do the tour themselves.
Matt told us that all of the hotels should know about them, but many don't recommend the tour because he doesn't provide referral commissions like some of the bigger tour companies. Each time we walked by the tour desk at Aulani, I'd stop in if it wasn't busy and talk to the guides. A few said they might take it themselves, but I wouldn't count on them knowing the details for you.
The tour is not fancy. You dress casually and should be prepared for the many ways Chinatown is different than what you may be used to (open air markets, odd animal parts being sold - although we didn't eat any of them, a completely different type of culture). We went to non-Chinatown spots as well, but much of the tour was spent there.
If you go, please tell them Bret and Tracie from MN sent you. We don't get kickbacks or anything, but I told them I was going to mention it on the DIS (they had no idea what I was talking about) and it would be fun to see if they wind up getting business from the boards. I'd also love to see them work on a tour that is closer to Aulani if there is enough interest.
We will be posting a full trip report on our own http://OnTheRoadWithLewisAndClark.comblog in the next few days, and that will include photos and more details. I'll let you know when it's done.
Happy eating!
We took the tour on Thursday (Feb 7) and had an amazing time. Definitely a highlight of the trip. They offer three tours, we took the Hole in the Wall tour, which took us behind the scenes to places the locals go (and a few popular tourist spots too).
We particularly enjoyed the fact that we got to go to Chinatown and see things normal people wouldn't and taste things tourists wouldn't normally be exposed to. Our guide made it a point to let us know that the tour may change a tiny bit from day to day based on what's fresh and looking good that day. They do not have formal relationships with any of the vendors, which allows them flexibility in where they visit, especially in Chinatown. This does mean that when you arrive at a location, one of the guides will take your order and go wait in line for the group, so the food isn't instantly available when you pull up, but there is plenty of Hawaiian history and general knowledge imparted during these waiting times to make it interesting.
There was nothing we were offered that was questionable in any way (I'm sure the idea of Chinatown makes a few nervous), but if you are a mac and cheese person, you won't appreciate the tour. I was so full at the end that I couldn't taste the last few things, but my husband did fine. On Trip Advisor, someone mentions not getting enough to eat, I cannot imagine that is possible. It is definitely a tasting tour, but we tasted ALOT.
I would not bring young kids, but our teens (who love to try new and interesting foods) would have loved it. You do a fair bit of standing/walking while in Chinatown, the rest of the time an air conditioned shuttle bus drives you around. If you have trouble standing for long periods of time, portable stools are offered to you, as are water, wet wipes, etc.
The tour picks up at Waikiki hotels, so we had to drive in from Aulani. We left at 7:10a, for a 9:30am pick up and were at the pick up location (the Ala Moana shopping mall) an hour early. Just as we were boarding the shuttle, the Aulani shopping bus was pulling up, so there is a possibility you could ride that in, but it would be cutting it close.
I recommend going early in the trip because there may be places to you want to revisit. Once you book the tour, you will receive a restaurant list of all of the local places recommended by the food tour owners. They even said we could call them after the tour to ask for restaurant suggestions later in the week. If you can swing it, I'd also recommend Thursdays, it is the only day the owner, Matthew, and his wife, Keira, do the tour themselves.
Matt told us that all of the hotels should know about them, but many don't recommend the tour because he doesn't provide referral commissions like some of the bigger tour companies. Each time we walked by the tour desk at Aulani, I'd stop in if it wasn't busy and talk to the guides. A few said they might take it themselves, but I wouldn't count on them knowing the details for you.
The tour is not fancy. You dress casually and should be prepared for the many ways Chinatown is different than what you may be used to (open air markets, odd animal parts being sold - although we didn't eat any of them, a completely different type of culture). We went to non-Chinatown spots as well, but much of the tour was spent there.
If you go, please tell them Bret and Tracie from MN sent you. We don't get kickbacks or anything, but I told them I was going to mention it on the DIS (they had no idea what I was talking about) and it would be fun to see if they wind up getting business from the boards. I'd also love to see them work on a tour that is closer to Aulani if there is enough interest.
We will be posting a full trip report on our own http://OnTheRoadWithLewisAndClark.comblog in the next few days, and that will include photos and more details. I'll let you know when it's done.
Happy eating!
